Bishop Alberto B. Ramiento, PIC, One of the Strongest Ecumenical Voices in the Philippines Against Extra-Judicial Killings - By RC Gumban & Rudy Bernal
(First of 2 parts)
Bishop Alberto B. Ramiento, of the Philippine Independent Church (PIC), is one of the strongest ecumenical voices that condemned political killings in the country . Few days before he was murdered in his parsonage, he confided to his family, to IFI priests and friends. “ I knew, they are going to kill me next, but never will I abandon my duty to God and my ministry to the people.”
Bishop Alberto Ramiento , in his frustrations on the continued killings of militants in the country, called on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down from his office and end extra-judicial killings that steadily increased since she came to power in 2002.
His voice was heard strong and clear across the country denouncing the brutal killings of militant leaders, social activists, lawyers , journalists, priests , pastors and church people together with innocent civilians under the watch of her administration. Militants has accused the military behind all this killings, some with brutality.
I have seen the ministry Bishop Ramiento and challenges he was facing, specially when he was bishop of Tarlac. We work together in the Committee of Faith, Worship and Service of the National Council of the Philippines while I was Vice President of the Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches and have the privilege of working with him in the ecumenical body. On several occasion, Bishop Ramiento shared with me some of the hardship, difficulties and dangers he met in the service of the Lord. But as he said, there was no turning back.
Bishop Ramiento was Bishop of Tarlac of the Philippine Independent Church (PIC), the night he was brutally stabbed 7 times while asleep in his convent early hours of that fateful day, August 3, 2006. He was involved in human rights advocacy and the struggle of workers for better working conditions and just wages in sugar haciendas in his diocess. He has endeared himself to the poor and the struggling masses of Tarlac. But his involvement and show of care for the poor, caused anger in the military establishment and some business leaders in the province. For years, he lived under c ontinued threats to his life.
Bishop Ramiento was the 29th clergy killed who were vocal in their criticisms of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s government policies and the killings of environmental, human rights and political activists since 2002. At that time, militants reported 750 judicial killings from different parts of the country mostly of Partylists group -- Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis, Gabriela and Bayan. Militants accused the military behind the assassination. But President Arroyo keep mum despite efforts to bring the cases of death to her in Malacanan. She even promoted the military officers, whom the militants accused as mastermind of the killings. None of those involved in the killings were brought to justice, strengthening belief that the assassination and killings were perpetrated by the military hit men, protected by top military officers with the tacit approval of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The killing of militants increased strangely starting 2004, since the discovery of a military training guidelines , in a Power Point Presentations, entitled “Know Your Enemies”. These manual was used during the information drives and training of military officers. “Know Your Enemies”, named 38 national organizations as suspected enemies. Included in the listings are Protestant church organizations – the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), the Philippine Independent Church (PIC) and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).
Three Partylis were included – Bayan Muna, Gabriela Womens’ Party, Anak Pawis and the militant people’s organization, Bayan. They were called Communist Fronts by “Know Your Enemies”, Power Point presentation.
Thirty other national organizations listed as enemies by the military training guidelines, included the Association of Concerned Teachers of the Philippines (ACT), COURAGE, an association of nationalist employees of government. Two journalists associations, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP), and the Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), together with national organizations of peasants, fisher folks, workers, urbn poor and associations of tribal minorities were named. The training manual calls on the military units to “neutralize” this organizations. The unsolved political killings that is going on now, may be the implementation of the training guidelines or were inspired by it.
These caused apprehensions among groups critical of the military and President Arroyo’s administration. “Neutralize “ as understood in the country means to eliminate, kill, destroy or disable the leadership of the organizations. Confronted in the media, the military denied. But then, the assassination of critics of government has continued in different parts of the country.
Tarlac is the area where retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, named by militants as “The Butcher” was assigned before his retirement. During his term as Provincial Commander of Tarlac, as in other provinces where he was earlier assigned – in Mindoro and Samar –Tarlac experienced many cases of killings and disappearances. Fr. William Tadena, IFI priest who supported the farm workers strikes at Hacienda Luisita, was killed, together with a labor lawyer, labor leaders and farm laborers.
Tarlac is the area where retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, named by militants as “The Butcher” was assigned before his retirement. During his term as Provincial Commander of Tarlac, as in other provinces where he was earlier assigned – in Mindoro and Samar –Tarlac experienced many cases of killings and disappearances. Fr. William Tadena, IFI priest who supported the farm workers strikes at Hacienda Luisita, was killed, together with a labor lawyer, labor leaders and farm laborers.
The unsolved killings has brought chilling effects on militants including Bishop Ramiento, who confided to his family and trusted friends earlier: “ I know they are going to kill me next but never will I abandon my duty to God and my ministry to the people.” The threat to his life continued until the assassins entered his room in the morning of October 3, 2006 and stabbed him, causing instant death. He was discovered about 4:00 A.M. in his room, bathe in his blood.
The surveillance and deaths that hounded the bishop before his assassination, follow the pattern of killings of vocal critics of government. The bishop’s family cannot accept his death as a simple case of robbery with homicide as reported by the police. The Philippine Independent Church (IFI) saw the murder as a way to silenced him and a warning to other voices critical of the present administration.
Bishop Ramiento was the 29th unsolved murders and killing of church leaders, both Catholics and Protestants. These clergies in the exercise of their prophetic role were critical of government policies - mining, globalization, human rights violations, extra-judicial killings and the re-entry of US military in the country thru the Visiting Forces Agreement. The VFA was seen by many Filipinos as a one-sided military agreement detrimental to Philippine interests.
( First of 2 Parts)
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